Jan. 26, 2004
Longtime Villanova assistant football coach Lou Ferry died on Sunday, Jan. 25 after a long illness. Born Dec. 1, 1927 in Chester, Pa., Ferry was a part of Villanova Football for over seven decades.
As a player, Ferry was a standout offensive and defensive tackle for the Wildcats from 1945-48 earning All-East and All-America honorable mention distinction. In 1948, he served as team captain of the Wildcats. During his collegiate career, Ferry played in both the 1947 Great Lakes Bowl and the 1948 Harbor Bowl. He went on to spend seven seasons in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers (1949-50), Chicago Cardinals (1951) and Pittsburgh Steelers (1952-56). Ferry is currently one of 21 former Villanova players to have their jerseys retired.
He returned to Villanova in 1960 where he served as the defensive line coach until 1970, when he was appointed head coach. He served in this capacity between 1970-73 and part of the 1974 season. In 1975, Ferry returned as defensive line coach until 1981. In 1985 when Villanova restored its football program, Ferry returned to the Main Line as defensive line coach and was a part of head coach Andy Talley's staff for the past 19 seasons.
During his Villanova coaching career, Ferry served as a mentor to former All-Pro defensive lineman and NFL Hall of Famer Howie Long while Long played on the Main Line from 1977-80.
